North Loop & Gobbler Ridge Trails, Lake Kissimmee State

Oak hammock along the North Loop

Most visitors to Lake Kissimmee State Park never see the lake. Certainly, they see the marina, and the Zipprer Canal that connects Lake Rosalie and Lake Kissimmee. Alligators sun on the canal banks, and you can hear airboats buzzing in the distance. But even from the very top of the observation tower, Lake Kissimmee is a mystery, off in the distance beyond a vast swath of prairie.

The lesser-used North Loop of Lake Kissimmee State Park is my favorite of the park’s two big hiking loops (the popular Buster Island Loop being the other one), since it provides access to the Gobbler Ridge Trail, which stretches through open scrub to bring you to the shores of Lake Kissimmee. It also provides better opportunities for wildlife sightings, from box turtles to plentiful deer, rare caracara and Florida scrub-jays, and even wild turkeys out on the ridge.

Like the Buster Island Loop, the loop starts near the 1876 Cow Camp. From the marina parking lot, follow the blue blazes through the oak hammock to the Cow Camp road. Cross the road to reach the white-blazed loop after 0.4 mile. Turn left. Entering a tall stand of pines, the trail makes its way to where you see prairie between the trees off to the left. A mirror image of the Buster Island Loop, the first portion of this trail parallels the north edge of the same open prairie. Pines and palmettos yield to an oak hammock, where a damp fur of resurrection fern covers the sprawling limbs of live oaks. Butterfly orchids grow along the thick branches of the oaks.

After you pass a flatwoods pond, the trail reaches the sign for the primitive campsite at 1.9 miles. Turn right to check out the campsite, 0.1 mile down a blue-blazed trail. The campsite is high and dry under the live oaks, with picnic tables and two fire rings. It’s similar to the campsite on the Buster Island loop (no water) but more lightly used.